Musculoskeletal Pain in Musicians

Musculoskeletal Pain in Musicians

“Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”

Plato

Musicians devote their lives to their instruments and in some ways can be likened to elite athletes. They can have:

  • Muscles that are tight and overactive, or too long and weak, or a combination of both
  • Poor co-ordination and control of muscles
  • Joints that are stiff or too mobile
  • Irritated nerves
These problems may be occurring at the parts of the body that produce the music – such as the jaw in a flute player; or in the regions that give support – such as the low back in a pianist.

Just like elite athletes musicians are affected by “load” on the body, due to:

  • the requirements of a particular musical skill
  • the demands of practice and performance
Musculoskeletal physiotherapists do individual assessments of the body systems. They provide the musician with:

  • Hands- on treatment to affected muscles, joints and nerves
  • A tailored therapeutic exercise programme which enables self-treatment at home
  • Strategies around practice and performance that assist with managing “load”.


If you are a musician experiencing muscle or joint pain, you can consult with one of our experienced Musculoskeletal Physiotherapists to develop an individualised management program.

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